Make or Break
by Poisoned Lips
Summary: In return for helping Pomfrey clean his reputation up Camilla Fritton wants payment, Piers wont pay unless he gets something in return which lands him and Annabelle in an arranged marriage. Can they make it without bloodshed or will they break?
1. Chapter 1

White parchment paper with black ink printed words stamped onto it, practically harmless on their own, but the words that were printed onto them were not harmless. No they were not they could hurt even the most hardened human in the world, really they could, they judged, the condemned they unleashed they helped, they did so much for the world and so little at the same time.

Sadly enough for her those white parchment sheets with the small black ink printed letters were condemning her and another, it was for the greater good though, it would bring peace to the two families, it would make one's ruined reputation get back its _rightful _glory.

Annabelle sighed as she read over the blank words sadly, she had thought that after spending two years in St. Trinians and two whole summers with her Aunt Camilla that the old Annabelle Fritton had been booted out and the new Annabelle Fritton had gotten rid of all the nice and sweetness, especially when it came to sexist, pompous men such as the one that was sitting beside her drumming his finger tips impatiently against the wood of the desk before them. Shakily she took a deep breath as she reached over for the pen on her aunts desk, she didn't have to do this, in all honesty she could have just out right refused, she was legally and adult who had graduated school and got an internship to be her aunts assistant, to learn how to become the next Miss. Fritton head mistress of St. Trinians school for young ladies. Not to mention her father had made an agreement with another family sometime after she was born, she'd never meet her betrothed, but they had written letters to one another since they were children, even bought each other gifts, she still had the charm bracelet he'd sent to her for Christmas some years ago secured safely in her jewelry box back at home … her aunts home. All she knew of that boy though was that he attended an all boys academy not too far from St. Trinians and was head boy last year just as she had been head girl and had gotten and internship at his father's office just as she got an internship at her aunt's school.

Alas life didn't work out the way it should have.

"Will you stop that?" Annabelle finally cracked as she turned away angrily from the papers and looked over at Piers Pomfrey. He lifted a brow and stared at her irately.

"Forgive me but you are taking too long, I could have had my tailor make a new suite for me by now." He replied.

She heaved in a breathe furiously as she turned back to the papers, she couldn't believe she'd agreed to this, she could still back out, really she could, her aunt would understand, her girls would understand, any dignified woman would understand. Looking away from the papers again she looked up at her aunt across from her and found that she smiled softly at her telling her that mentally whatever she choose she would stand behind her and support her a hundred percent of the way.

Then there was that fact that with the arrangement came money, lots of money, and she could use it however she wanted, and she would use it to fund St. Trinians, get some scholarship programs going and recruit more girls, maybe even a foreign exchange program, there were so many girls out there that deserved to go to and learn to be a real girl, a real woman. There was also the fact that it would make her family and her school look good, not that finding a stolen painting and a lost play, uncovering the truth about Shakespeare's true gender and blowing the top off a sexist secret society didn't already make them look good, it would just make them look even better.

With that in mind she quickly read through the writing and flipped through the pages signing them quickly and swiftly as not to second guess her decision, because if she thought it through then she really, really wouldn't have signed the parchment.

She slid the papers and the pen over to Piers Pomfrey and looked back at her aunt who was still smiling at her, but Annabelle could see that it was not her usual cheery smile, no this smile if looked at closely had a tinge of sadness in it. Since the stolen picture incident and her father being put into prison for being caught with a forged painting she had been handed over to her aunt, and over the summer and the school year they had bonded. She could only hope that she could continue her internship with the school even though she was probably going to be engaged to _Pomfrey_, school started in two weeks she really wanted to be working in that internship.

Turning to Pomfrey she watched as he scanned through the print and just as quickly signed the papers, from there it was all slow motion as he slid the papers over to her aunt. There was no turning back, no not anymore, it was official as her aunt signed as the witness.

"Just to make sure you women aren't cheating me out Fritton, she isn't a hammy down is she?" Pier's asked as he nodded his head at her.

Annabelle gaped at him, she knew he was rude, but that was just pushing it, and the fact that he had the audacity to ask such a private question and believing her have just given away such a precious thing to the first person she crushed on was just asking for a slap in the face; he truly was a pig of a man.

Turning to her aunt she found that her aunt was just as angry as she. "My girls may be rowdy Pomfrey, but they are not skanks." Camilla said sharply.

Pomfrey sighed as he spoke again. "Is she or isn't she?" He asked.

"I am not." Annabelle spoke up as she grabbed her purse and stood up from her chair, she quickly pushed passed the lawyers and the assistant as she made her way to the door and out of the room, slamming it shut she leaned against it and breathed deeply.

"Well looks like I missed most of it." A husky voice said.

Snapping her head up she smiled and ran into the embracing arms of Kelly Jones, the older girl smiled as she stepped back out of the embrace and held her at arm's length. "I take it that the sexist pig was being a sexist pig." She said.

"He's awful and now it's official that he's my betrothed." Annabelle said.

Kelly smiled softly at her. "Come on let's go take a walk, maybe the nurse can cook you something up to relax you." She said as she swung her arm around her shoulder and walked her up the stairs.

"Honestly Fritton, could she be a little ruder?" Pier's asked as he heard the door slam shut.

"Could you?" Camilla asked.

"I was just making sure that when our relationship is announced there won't be any problems or revelations occurring." Pier's replied smoothly with a handsome smile.

It was that smile that made Camilla Fritton break and she hit the desk hard with her fist causing Pomfrey to twitch in his seat. "Annabelle is a good woman, and when the press looks into her history they will find that she is nothing more than a sweetheart with a horrible father that is locked away. She didn't have to agree to this, but she did, and she did it for me, and for St. Trinians. You want us to help you restore your reputation to it's squeaky clean state then you will have to start with her, because if she comes to me ever saying that you treated her wrongly in any way, I will make sure that the press will get a hold of the things we found in your precious AD1's headquarters." Camilla threatened.

"Yes … I want a copy of that contract." Pomfrey said quickly changing the subject.

"Fine." Camilla replied.

"So exactly how will you break this to the press?" Pomfrey asked and turned his head slightly to watch as his betrothed and another young woman, with snow white skin and ink black hair and black clothes walked into the room.

Annabelle took a seat in the chair next to him while the other walked behind the headmistress and grabbed the contract reading it through. "Cooled down a bit _love_?" Pier's asked Annabelle and he watched delightedly as she shuddered and turned to him, her smoky eyes narrowed at him and she replied softly. "Of course I did."

"As I was saying Pomfrey, if they hear that you're engaged to my niece right away, they will believe that this is an arranged marriage. What I believe is the best way to do this, is to wait a bit to announce the engagement by making it seem as though you are courting each other and taking time to get to know one another. Lots of public outings, and lots of interviews will do the trick, and the press will be looking for a source so make sure your people give them the proper information. Like right now since you've come out of hiding the press has been following you around like a bunch of hunting dogs and are outside the gates and surrounding the school watching and waiting for something to happen. The idea is to make it look real and not planned and choreographed."

"That means you need to place your mask back on for the camera's _darling_." Annabelle added.

Pier's glared as he straightened himself out. "How long will I have to do this for?" he asked.

"Not long a few months, six, seven give or take how well the press are." Camilla said.

"As well as however long it takes for the press to believe that it isn't arranged." Kelly added.

"So where shall we send the copy to your home or to you yacht?" Camilla asked smugly as she watched Pomfrey standup from his seat. "Doesn't matter where, I want it by Monday though." Pomfrey said as he and his lawyers walked out of the office. Camilla, Kelly and Annabelle watched silently.

"Auntie, I really, really just want to get the marriage part over, do we really need to stretch it out so long?" Annabelle asked.

"Don't worry Annabelle the moths will go by quickly for you, for Pomfrey though it will be an eternity that will pass before it happens. Just be calm." Camilla soothed.

"We have to go out there and bid them a good day." Kelly said in that forlorn tone Annabelle had never taken to, it was a depressing sound that made her wish the bad parts just knocked on her door so she could get it all over with, but then they would just wait and push her till she laid beneath her bed and hid from them never knowing when it would end. Sucking in a deep breath Annabelle stood up and straightened out her clothing, her aunt right by her at every second.

"Will the press really be watching us from now on?" Annabelle asked worriedly.

Camilla sighed softly as they walked out of the office. "They will after your _courtship _has been announced, until then they will be watching him only, and when they do start to watch us, we'll hold a press conference asking for them to not disturb the school grounds. It wouldn't be good publicity if they found out that the girls here aren't what they thought they were." Kelly replied.

"Until then we carry on as usual." Camilla said as they walked out into the bright afternoon sun, all three of them placing smiles on their faces quickly as they walked down the steps.

Pomfrey was waiting at the car talking on his cell, he turned and smiled at them, and winking at Annabelle before he turned back away from them. They could hear the clicking of the cameras and the shuffling of the bushes and see the movements of the paparazzi, it was sad that the only thing they were interested in at the moment was a Knight that was a sexist, it disgusted them that they didn't pay any attention to more important matters.

"Forgive me; my phone has been going off all morning since I arrived back in England." Pier's said as he put his phone away and took a few steps towards them.

"Yes well Pomfrey you have been in hiding for a good year now, I'm sure everyone is dying to know where you've been." Camilla said with a soft chuckle.

She was acting, making it seem like they were on good terms for the camera's but all of them knew it was only an act. "Yes, well it's unfortunate but I must be on my way, work calls." Pier's said as he shook hands with Camilla, and Annabelle could see the scowl forming just as Pier's did and he pulled his hand away quickly as he spoke. "It was good talking." He said quickly before he moved onto Annabelle and took her hand in his, bending down and kissing her hand gently. Annabelle held back from barfing, and forced herself to blush as he lifted his head up. "You'll be hearing from me soon little Fritton." Pier's said before he nodded at Kelly and turned away from them.

"Do you think one of the Emo's could come up with an undetectable poison for me?" Annabelle asked quietly as she turned to look her aunt who smiled back at her as she replied. "We'll have to ask them when they get back, but I'm sure they will be delighted." Camilla said as they spun around and walked back into the school.

"So what do we do now?" Annabelle asked.

"No we go through the books, make sure all the funds are where they are suppose to be, help settle any new teachers in, prepare for new students, prepare for school to start and be a St. Trinian." Camilla replied as the door shut behind them.

None of them cared to think about the car that had been surrounded by a horde of reporters and cameramen, and paparazzi taking whatever picture they could of the person inside the car.

"Sir Panorama called and I scheduled you for an interview at eight thirty, and don't forget you have one and eight with Tonight and another interview with Newsnight at eleven twenty." Peters said as they waited for the paparazzi to move out of the way.

"Anything else Peters?" Pier's asked as he grabbed the champagne and a glass from the side bar.

"No Sir, but shall I be planning any outings for you and Miss Annabelle Fritton?" Peters asked.

"No I'll be planning our public outings, besides it's too soon to be going out together." Piers replied.

Peters nodded his head as he poured himself a glass of champagne as well. "Peter's you're lucky, the public never looks at the assistant, their eyes are always primarily focused on the boss, right now I wouldn't mind much switching places with you." Pier said as he sipped at his champagne.

"I wouldn't mind either Sir, especially now." Peters replied.

Piers stared at his assistant questionably as he wondered why anyone would want to be in his position at the moment, he'd been outsmarted by a group of anarchical school girls, as well as humiliated by them and they'd blown his secret. Now he was at the mercy of said school girls anarchical head mistress, he'd gone to Camilla Fritton on his hands and knees literally begging for her help, he'd gotten the help as well as blackmail on them as well, but he'd also had gotten blackmailed in return. Why on earth would Peters want to be in his position?

"I don't understand Peters unlike my situation yours is good, nobody has it out for you why would you wish to switch places with me?" Piers asked.

"Sir, you're rich, good looking, of high class and now if I may say, you've got quite a beautiful fiancé as well." Peters simply explained.

Leaning into the cushioned seat Piers sipped at his champagne some more as he thought over what Peters had said. He was right, despite what the public thought of him and how humiliated St. Trinians may have made him feel, other than the respect and his reputation he hadn't truly lost anything. He did still have his wealth, he did still have his good looks, he was still in a high social class, and now to top matters off he had a young a attractive fiancé; the situation hadn't changed much, the girls may have had leverage on him, but he had leverage on them as well, it was still a win-win situation.

Smirking he slouched further into his seat and took another drink of the champagne, life was still good.


	2. Chapter 2

… _One Week Later …_

It was the strangest thing, she was accustomed to worrying about things, and it was just something that came natural to her. One minute she could be fine and everything's going great, but then something or someone would ruin it and she was analyzing every little thing and running over the possibilities of the _'What-If's'_, every little thing could be the cause of her worry and the biggest things were what nearly got her in panic attacks.

Her father always said that she'd got it from her mother's side, always said that if she were a '_real' _Fritton she wouldn't have the little worry problem or even think about _little _things like worrying.

According to her dear aunt she got her little worry streak from her father though, said he was a '_fake_' Fritton, and used the name for public gain and publicity. According to her aunt there was nothing for her to worry about; she'd gotten one of her father's better attributes.

Right now neither of their thoughts really mattered to her, she was worrying, and she had completely forgotten when she signed the contract that she was already betrothed to another.

'_No wait I do remember thinking something about having a betrothed already …. Oh god I'm going to be in so much trouble.' _Annabelle thought to herself as she ran down the empty staircase of St. Trinians.

She would have never remembered had it not been for the fact that she'd been going through the list of guests for the premiere, she didn't know the person's name but she knew his initials and they were engraved in her mind. _W.W. _the same initials as the guest West Whilburns, what a coincidence.

Finally making it to her aunts office doors she knocked carefully and waited for an answer, there was something oddly disturbing about the atmosphere in the school and she feared that if she stayed out in the hall that she'd be victim to whatever someone was planning, so instead of waiting she hurried into her aunts office walking in on a scene she was glad that had seemed to have ended before she walked in.

Geoffrey Thwaites quickly buttoned his blazer up fixing his tie and her aunt covered up with a robe. "Sorry!" Annabelle squeaked out. Still though it was a bit uncomfortable walking in on the aftermath, a bit disturbing actually, she wouldn't admit it out loud, but perhaps her aunt was so level headed and such a big feminist because she was honestly more man looking; this didn't change the fact that she was charming, her aunt was very charming when she wanted to be, but perhaps her attitude made up for her looks.

Either or she still loved her aunt, she was the only true blood she had left.

"Ah Annabelle what can I do for you darling?" Camilla Fritton asked as she checked her curlers over with her hand.

Ignoring the man in the room she quickly walked over to her aunt and leaned over the table. "Auntie there was something I forgot to mention when I signed the contract." Annabelle said quietly knowing that her aunt didn't want the ex-AD1 member to hear about what had happened just yet. Even he would be astounded at what lengths they had gone through to keep the peace between them and the AD1, and he knew what Pomfrey was capable of as well, more so then any of them.

Her aunt looked confused for a moment, but then something registered in her mind and she looked grim and shocked as she spoke. "When did it happen? Did you just found out? Who's the father?" She asked.

"It's not that … trust me it's far from that." Annabelle replied quickly.

Camilla Fritton looked relieved for a moment until that grim look was back on her face. "Then what is worrying you? Nothing should come in the way of the agreement."

"You see I sort of had forgotten for some reason when I'd agreed to the contract and then when I was going over the guest list I saw something that reminded me of it and I know you're going to be really mad an-" Annabelle was cut off by an irate Camilla Fritton. "Dear girl you're beginning to babble now just tell me what it is."

Taking in a deep breath she whispered it so Geoffrey Thwaites couldn't hear. "I'm already affianced to another."

It was sudden and rather nerve racking when her aunt began laughing out loud like a mad-alec, Annabelle wasn't sure if it was a good sign or not and for precautions sake she took a step back from the desk. Her aunt smiled at her and Annabelle relaxed at the carefree look on her face, indicating that her aunt was not mad.

"Annabelle, I already know, after you signed the contract I had your father inform the family of his imprisonment. Your would-have-been mother-in-law wasn't happy that your father was imprisoned so she destroyed the contract; according to him I just ruined your only chance at living a comfortable lifestyle. … Honestly I just think your fathers' mad that he won't be able to manipulate your future husband to steal money from him." Camilla explained as she lit a cigarette with her pistol lighter.

Annabelle frowned at the mention of her father she wasn't too surprised with him being mad about her breaking off the previous engagement, though she would have loved to have seen his face when he was told that she was going to be marrying the most manipulative and corrupt man in England.

"Auntie?" She began she wanted to ask, though with her aunts lover in the room and him not knowing about the contract made up with one Piers Pomfrey, she was going to have too camouflage the question just a bit. "What did daddy say when he found out about the new contractor?" She asked.

Her aunt leaned back in the chair as she breathed out the smoke she had inhaled. "I never told him about it, I want him to find out through a more public way, I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it when he finds out." Her aunt replied.

Annabelle released the breath she hadn't known she was holding and her aunt waved her hand as she continued to speak. "Don't worry about what your father thinks, you should be worrying about how you're going to tell the others. … I'm sure they're not going to be too pleased when they find out. … Not saying I won't help you out there, but you know, I may or may not be around when you tell them."

She'd completely forgotten about that part and she was sure that she was going to be obliterated just for forgetting to tell them she couldn't even imagine what was to come when they were told of the agreement they made with Pomfrey.

Calming her distressed mind she said goodbye to her aunt and her aunt's lover and spun around on her heels, today was the first day of the last week of summer and her girls were to arrive soon and they needed to have everything ready. Closing the door behind her she made her way back up the stairs, she still had to send out all the invitations for the play's premiere and she still needed to find a dress as well as a date, alongside all that she needed to prepare the new students, fill in all the girls about keeping their initiation rituals strictly in their own territories

And she thought being a St. Trinian was tiring, how her aunt did everything was a mystery to her.

* * *

_... One Week Later …_

"You've got an invitation Sir." Peters said as he walked into Piers office with a matted red envelop. A sigh escaped Piers as he took off his reading glasses as he looked up from his papers and spoke to his assistant harshly. "Peters how many times have I told you not to come dashing into my office uninvited, I could've been in a meeting with someone." He reprimanded.

Peters reply was soft and sassy. "Sir had you been in a meeting I would have not came in as I would know if you were in a meeting being as since I'm your assistant I make up your schedule."

Pier's didn't like the back talk one bit and glared at his strange assistant holding out his hand he beckoned the blonde to hand him the envelope. His assistant walked quickly across the room and placed the envelope in his hand.

The red paper was mattified the ink was white and the coat of arms was that of St. Trinians, turning it around he found that it was enclosed with a ribbon bow made of black silk, undoing the ribbon carefully Piers watched as the envelop unfolded. A smirk appearing on his face as he read over the white elegant script, he knew automatically that it was from Camilla Fritton herself and not just an ordinary invitation that was sent out on the timed date.

_Dearest Pomfrey._

_As a token of gratitude for the helping hand you extended to us during the search of my ancestors treasure._

_The girls of St. Trinians and myself would be honored if you were to bestow upon us your presence at the premier of Williams Shakespeare's last play 'Queen Lear'._

_It will be held at the Globe Theater at seven thirty on this coming Friday, Black tie is mandatory._

_And don't forget that you must play nice with us for the cameras._

_Cordially, _

_Camilla Fritton_

"What is it?" Peters asked as he sat down across from Piers desk. Piers shook his head as he handed the invitation back to his assistant. "Did you get the information on my fiancé?" He asked as he looked over his desk at the stacks of papers laying about it.

"I did sir; I gave the file to you a couple days ago." Peters replied as he stood up from his seat and began moving files and paperwork around the desk. "Ah ha! Here it is." Peters continued as he lifted the file and handed it to Piers who took it readily.

Opening the file Piers looked over the information and stopped at the newly gained information. "Peters it says here that she's been living with her aunt for the past two years. What happened to her parents?"

"Her father's been imprisoned for having bought a stolen painting, as for her mother the police believe that while sailing to Europe she got caught in a storm and went overboard, the funeral was held when the girl was only five, after her father had been put away, she was given to her only living relative."

"Why was that not put in here?" Piers asked. "It is in there, you just need to flip over to the next page." Peters replied quickly.

"She'd gone in and out of boarding schools, why is that?" Piers asked as he flipped through the file. "Well Sir that was a little harder to find out, you see it turns out that your fiancé is actually quiet smart every time a teacher would notice this they suggested a different school for her to go to, that was until her father got fed up with losing money to the schools and placed her in a school that doesn't exactly tests as other schools do. And because she got placed with her aunt she was stuck in St. Trinians, she actually graduated top of her class and as Head Girl."

"Impressive, so far we have a sob story for the press as well as an intelligent side for them too." Piers commented.

"As well as good drama for them, it turns out that up until she agreed to marry you, she was betrothed to some other person."

Piers frowned at the knowledge. "That's not good drama at all, who broke off the contract?"

"The boy's family turns out that Camilla forced her brother into finally telling the family that they were marrying a convicts daughter, the family wasn't too happy about that so they broke off the engagement."

Piers nodded his head in understanding. "They didn't want bad blood in their family, what more can you tell me about them?"

"Not much Sir I didn't think you'd want to know about them." Peters replied. "Peters this is what I want you to do for me." Piers said as he straightened up in his chair and reached into his suit pocket pulling out his wallet. "I want you to hire an investigator and find out more about this family, I need to know if they will become a problem or not. Also I want you to find out if there's some sort of test out there to check to see if a girl is a virgin or not, until then I don't want to see your face, now leave my office." He finished as he handed Peters his wallet and waved him out of the room.

Peters left without another word and Piers leaned back in his chair as he looked through his fiancé's file

* * *

It should have been a simple job, more simple than figuring out what to wear for the arrival of the girls, but it seemed making sure all of the new transfers arrived in one piece wasn't as simple as it was suppose to be. This is the reason why Annabelle was running down the stairwell in heels at the moment, she'd just got word from one of the first years that five of the new transfers had not made it to orientation, which could only mean one of three things. One they had been captured on their way here and were at the moment being used as someone's sacrifice for some crazy ritual, two they'd been scouted and were in the middle of an initiation ritual or three …. They ran when they first arrived.

Right now she really hoped it was them being a sacrifice that would make it so much easier to catch them at the moment.

Her feet were killing her and if the transfer students made her run after them and she did get a hold of them she was going to put them through as much pain as she was in.

"Celia!" Annabelle yelled as she saw the new Head Girl walk out of the hallway. The blonde made a squeaking noise as she turned to look at Annabelle.

"Annabelle how's your morning going?" Celia asked as she watched Annabelle carefully.

The blondes usual puffy hair had been tamed and straightened the tips lightly curled while her clothes had stayed the same and her makeup done up the way all the previous Head Girls had done theirs light pale skin with deep red lipstick. The Head Girl badge gleamed in the little light and Annabelle could tell that Celia was proud to be the conductor for this year's chaos.

"Celia dear have you lost something?" Annabelle asked lightly.

Despite the fact that she was suppose to be in charge of the new students Celia was head girl and was suppose to report to her who had gone missing, who had ran away and who had been kidnapped and who was in the middle of an initiation. Technically if she went down Celia was going down with her as well.

"About that." Celia began as she sucked in her lips for a moment and continued her sentence. "You see the girls had just gotten out of hand and it was like a stampede and the next thing I knew they'd all just poofed!"

"Poofed?" Annabelle asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Celia nodded. "I'm giving you until the end of orientation to find them Celia before I go to the Head Mistress, so let's hope they pop up before we go missing as well." Annabelle said she was about to say more before her cellphone began buzzing in her coat and she quickly reached in and looked at the screen. She recognized the number, but she couldn't put a name to which it belonged to though. Hesitantly she answered the call.

"Hello?"

It was hard not to recognize the arrogant voice on the other line._ "Dearest Annabelle how are you this morning?" _Came Pier Pomfrey's voice.

Sighing she sat down on the staircase, stretching her legs so they rested on the stairs beneath the one she sat on and twined them together to keep her modesty. "Let's see it went from excited first day to anxious to worried, now it's just plain dreadful … how did you get my number … No wait don't answer that I don't want to know. Why are you calling me?" She spoke and she looked up and found Celia waiting for further instruction.

Annabelle motioned for her to sit down as her fiancé spoke. _'You should be careful to much stress and you could have an early heart-attack."_

Pouting she mocked him. "Oh darling it sounds like you actually care … But if you do really care about me be a doll and never call me again."

"_Charming. … Now on too business. You and I are going to go to the premier of the Queen Lear play together." _

"No."

"_What do you mean no?"_

"Sorry but I already told Chelsea that we would go together, I can't leave her standing on her own, it just wouldn't be right, she's my sister."

"_You signed a contract Annabelle."_

"And I haven't broken it. … I have to go work calls toodle-oo." Annabelle said as pulled away from her phone and pressed onto the screen.

Looking back over to Celia she sighed as she took a deep breath before speaking. "Celia … Do you know if the twins are still in the infirmary?" She asked.

"Yeah, they won't be out for another three days though." She replied.

" … Let's go over there and visit them, I need to tell you something and since you're the closest people to me here I figured its best to tell you all before I went and told the others first."

Celia said nothing as they stood up from the staircase and walked down, as soon as she stepped onto the marble floor she noticed how tired her feet were from all the running and the stairs. She groaned, she wouldn't be able to make to the infirmary without being carried if it went on and so she decided to sit at the last step and take her heels off.

"Remind me to look for a high heel exercise that'll help me at least be able to run a bit in these damned things." She said softly to Celia.

"I think there is an exercise out there somewhere … you may have to Google it." Celia replied.

"Will do." Annabelle said as she stood up with her heels in her hands.

They walked down the hall and Annabelle then decided to think through the thing with Pomfrey.

Nothing was looking good though; marriage to Pomfrey was looking like hell in her head. She knew he probably expected her to bow down to him as if he were a god, and that he probably expected her to just take his belittlement and to just be his baby making machine.

Oh how she 'd forgotten about that part, she was marrying Pomfrey that meant that she had to hold his hand in public, hug him, kiss him … Sleep with him. She was suppose to give herself to him, she a virgin that knew of his sinister thoughts was to show him her body in a way she'd never shown anyone just so he could have his wicked way with her.

What had she gotten herself into; she couldn't do any of those with a man that knew nothing about women. He'd probably try to raise their sons into believing women were not their equals and tell their daughters they were worth nothing.

She couldn't do this, she was still so young and she couldn't marry someone she did know in a way she didn't want to.

It was wrong, marrying without love, it shouldn't be allowed, and still she knew that even with all the money in the world she would never be able to stop people from doing it. She couldn't do it, it wasn't right, yet all she could see in her mind was her aunt's saddened eyes from when she decided she was backing out, it tore her to pieces just thinking about it. The girls though, her sisters would be disgusted by her, marry the man that put a gun to her face was low and stupid; only an idiot would do it.

He had leverage on them though, he knew how they worked, knew the truth behind them, the things others didn't know about, it would be a fools mistake to believe he wouldn't use it against them if he didn't get what he wanted.

She was conflicted, what was she to do? Marry a woman hater or protect her self-dignity. She wanted to go with the latter, but the first had certain percussion's to breaking, and she didn't want to have to deal with a revenge crazed Pomfrey.

The doors to the infirmary were only a few steps away and she realized then that the two girls in that room, the little girls she had come to love as if they were her own sisters were depending on her to make the right choice.

The choice that would protect all her sisters.

If the world found out about how St. Trinians was really ran, it would be shut down indefinitely, and all the girls would have to go to normal schools, schools that didn't understand them, schools that out casted them, schools that taught rubbish and things that wouldn't help a girl survive in the shark infested waters that was the world they knew.

She'd do it; she'd do anything for them … Even if it meant giving up her happiness.

As they walked into the infirmary she smiled sadly at the twins and hugged them tightly to her, there was a high chance that with her decision she would lose their love, it was a disgusting thing to do marrying a man that wanted nothing more than to kill them all.

So as she started talking she watched as the twinkle in their eyes disappeared and alarm rang across them, she watched with each word as slowly they seemed to take another centimeter away from her, it hurt, but it was expected. They didn't understand yet, maybe when they were older they would understand what had happened, maybe then they would forgive her.

She loved the twins, she'd always felt a bit of a connection with them, she also envied them in some ways though.

Despite the fact that they came from money, their father wasn't from old money like she was, he probably didn't even know that a lot of old families like hers still believed in arranged marriages. And with no mother like her they really didn't understand the prospect of being a normal girl.

When she finished telling them she was sure one of them wanted to slap her and another scream at her for her stupidity.

They weren't saying anything now, nothing came out of their mouths and so she took that as her que to leave.

Turning away from their beds she walked slowly away from them, she didn't want them to see her tears, she was a St. Trinian, and St. Trinians didn't cry, they were strong and brave, rebellious and devious, beautiful and imperfect.

Now she needed to go to her desk, fix up her makeup and make the announcement to everyone else.

* * *

Pomfrey was livid, he couldn't even get through a meeting without the girl coming back into his mind; he'd never been rejected by anyone … Even now that his true side had been shown.

That little girl rejected him as if rejecting an ugly looking dish of food before tasting it.

"Sir, I got those documents you wanted if you could just sign them now then we can be on our way." Peter's voice rang through his mind, he heard none of it though.

"Why would she just reject me like that?" He asked as he blew off whatever his assistant had just said.

He sat up and placed his chin on his knuckles as he tried to come up with a reasonable answer, there was nothing though.

"Sir, from what we heard and the little I know of girls it seems that she seemed genuinely honest about her friend going alone and friends never let their friends go anywhere alone in the world of girls, it's like an unspoken rule." Peters replied as he stood in front of Pomfrey's desk.

"If that was the case we could've sent the girl with you." Piers replied.

"I doubt a girl like Chelsea Eliason would ever consider me a date."

He knew that name, and the face that flashed before him was one he recognized to. "Chelsea Eliason the supermodel? The one that basically owns the catwalk? Annabelle is friends with her?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Peters only replied simply. "Well yes … They went to school together this coming June I believe they'll have been friends for at least three years."

This was news to him; he'd never have known that the girl had connections like that. "My fiance is friends with one of the most beautiful women in Britain. … Who would have thought?"

Then there was a thought. "Wait Chelsea Eliason is one of the most beautiful bachelorettes; she could have any man she wanted. Why is she going alone?"

"Sir, Chelsea Eliason is one of the most notorious bachelorettes, the girl goes everywhere with a posse of men to do her biding. … According to the notes that Miss. Fritton and I have been exchanging, the mandatory of dates allowed is one … Miss. Eliason probably wouldn't have been able to pick just one man as her date, so obviously she decided to go with another guest, her friend."

"You and my fiancé have been exchanging notes?" Piers asked.

It was shocking to him that anyone would talk to his assistant much less Annabelle Fritton, she was one of those beautiful girls that refused to talk to any man that didn't have old money and good looks.

…. Well most of people like himself, that wasn't him obviously.

"Sir … we've been taking care of each other with information and scheduling between you and her aunt Camilla Fritton since the beginning of spring. … She's her aunts assistant remember."

He'd actually forgotten about that.

" … Still though, it gives her no right to just flick me away as if I was a piece of straw on her shoulder."

"Sir, you've seen at firsthand how these girls are; you really shouldn't take it so seriously." Peters replied.

"That school I swear … How is it that Thwaites was incapable of condemning it? I mean honestly one conversation with Camilla Fritton and you could only imagine how the girls act." Piers said suddenly as he sat up.

"That's it." He continued on. "Peters I want you to gather a team and get me everything on St. Trinians school and I want everything on all my fiancés friends and I want it before the play." He said as he stood up from his chair.

"Where are you going Sir?" Peters asked as he followed him out of his office.

"To see my fiancé." Piers replied as he walked down the hallway.

* * *

Pulling out her phone she scrolled through her contacts and looked at the name of the only person who could possibly help her, while the blonde may have been openly promiscuous she was also strong in a way that only a St. Trinian girl could be.

She pressed the green telephone symbol and listened as the phone ringed. It was only a second or two and quickly she heard the fluttery voice of her sister. _"Well hello my lovely."_ Chelsea purred into the phone.

"Good afternoon to you too Chelsea." Annabelle replied softly.

"_Why the sad voice Bell? I would think you'd be happy now that your affair with Pomfrey was out in the open."_ Chelsea replied softly.

Sitting up in her chair Annabelle replied with a edgy voice. "What affair?" She asked.

"_Really Annabelle you're trying to play innocent with me? You know I still keep in contact with some of our younger sisters as well. You know how fast word travels with St. Trinians."_ Chelsea replied, her voice wasn't accusing or teasing, it was normal.

"No Chelsea I truly mean what affair." Annabelle said.

"_The affair with Pomfrey, you just admitted about it to all of our sisters this morning because you got caught when he walked out of your suite last night by Molly Perkins." _Chelsea replied.

Annabelle's eyes widened at the thought of Pomfrey and she in such a compromising position made her stomach twist in a sickening way. "Okay who ever told you that obviously got everything I said all wrong and who the hell is Molly Perkins?" Annabelle asked.

"_I don't know one of our sisters I guess … I'm just telling you what I was told." _Came Chelsea's rushed response.

Annabelle sighed as she laid her head against her desk and spoke tiredly to her sister. "Anyhow there is no affair."

"_Then why else are you getting engaged?"_Chelsea asked curiously.

Annabelle said nothing and waited for Chelsea to put the pieces together, she was smarter than she looked, sometimes she was at least. There was a sound of breath intake and Annabelle knew she had put the pieces together.

"_An arranged marriage oh you poor thing! Does your father even know that that pig put a gun to your head just last year?" _Chelsea said angrily through the phone and Annabelle knew the girl was talking through clenched teeth.

"It wasn't my father who arranged it." Annabelle whispered.

"_Your mother?" _Chelsea questioned.

"No."

" …_. Headmistress … Why would she do that? She out of all people knows how truly awful that man is! What was she thinking? Please tell me the two of you weren't Arsehold when you came up with this bloody brilliant idea!" _

"No we weren't." Annabelle replied as she sighed again. _"Then what the hell Annabelle have the two of you gone mad or something?"_

"I didn't call you so I could hear the same things I've been hearing all morning!" Annabelle snapped. _"Then why did you call? Please tell me what's going on." _Chelsea said.

"During the middle of summer, Pomfrey came to us, literally begging on his knees for us to help him retain his image. Auntie agreed with the condition of him helping the school out and came up with a plan. Well we went through interview after interview with all sorts of women. After we figured out that all these women wanted to do was get close enough to hurt him our plan fell through the ceiling and that's when he suggested to auntie that he should take one of us as his wife. … I couldn't allow anyone the pain of marrying him so I figured I would do it I was already betrothed with someone I didn't know or had even seen, hell I didn't even know the guys name so I figured with Pomfrey I at least knew what I was getting into. Then I know if I break this agreement now that I've already signed the contract that he'd use whatever he could to get back at us, and he knows so much about us …. I have to do this now, even if I don't want to."

"_Oh Annabelle." _Chelsea replied in a pitying tone.

"The reason I called was because I need to know how you do it. How you go behind our backs so easily and sleep with people we tell you not to and not care what we think."

"_Annabelle to be truly honest I do care what you all think, I just sometimes can't help myself. It may seem like I don't care but that's merely an act, I don't ever want people to know that I feel bad for doing the things I've done. If people are giving you the cold shoulder just let them know that you saved them the misery of being shackled for life to madman. Let them know that if their unhappy with your decision that they can go to a normal school if they hate you so much."_

"I wish it were that easy."

"_Listen, at least he's good looking, if you only focus on that then it will be a breeze to forget that he's a maggot."_

"Chelsea!" Annabelle said as she shot up from her position quickly shocked that the other girl had found Pomfrey attractive at all.

"_It's true! You know I bet at one time before he had grey hair that he looked really really good. I mean he already looks like that guy on Doctor Who, all tall and slim, I bet his got some nice abs!" Chelsea said in her flirty tone._

"Oh that's disgusting Chelsea." Annabelle replied.

"_Don't act like you've never noticed." _

"Nope never noticed unlike someone I'm not attracted to every person that walks into my path."

"_That hurts."_

"No it doesn't."

"_Oh look your right it doesn't hurt at all … Never mind. Anyway I have to go I promised J.J. I'd meet up with her; she says she needs to go over a few things and some more paper work. … Just know Annabelle that I'm always here for you and I'm sure the others will come around as well eventually just give it sometime."_

"Thanks Chels." Annabelle replied.

"_Anytime gotta go love you." _Chelsea was gone with the a click and Annabelle looked at the time and found that the lunch hour was gone and she still felt exhausted.

Sighing Annabelle looked around her desk and found that there was nothing for her to do, she'd completed everything she had placed on her imaginary to-do list. With the headmistress out for lunch, there was even more time to spare for herself, her auntie not coming back till later today most likely, this meant she'd have a good load of paper work tomorrow, which would help keep her busy and keep her mind off all the insanity she was jumping into.

She should relax and take a bath, eat something, take a nap, she could choose all if she'd like. Standing from her desk she walked out of the small office and walked towards the staircase, as always Beverly was asleep, her headphones blazing on something loud and something awful.

Feeling like it was her first day again she looked up the staircase, honestly believing that every girl in was watching her like a hawk with scrutinizing gazes, she blinked and they were once again gone. She only hopes as she walked up the steps that this feeling of being criticized would only last for a little while, god knew that she wouldn't last long.

The hallway to her bedroom was dark and quiet and she could swear that there was whispering going on, it was as if the walls were talking and everyone was waiting to pounce on her, it made a shudder crawl down her spine, she wrapped her arms around herself as she walked slowly towards her room.

Realizing no one was there, she unwrapped her arms and began to unbutton her blazer as turned the knob to her door and began to push it open. She screamed as she stopped in her tracks at the man sitting on one of her couches.

"Hello Love." Pomfrey said as he looked over his shoulder at her.

Redoing the buttons on her top she glared at him as she shut her bedroom door and stomped over to him, making it a point to let him know she had her heels on and she was willing to stuff them in a place he wouldn't dare her to.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She asked incredulously as crossed her arms over her chest and stared down her nose at him.

He was eating one of her pasties, the ones the girls in the kitchen brought her on a daily basis, those were her snacks and he was eating them.

"Darling." He began in that bittersweet voice of his. "Do you really wish for me to begin that topic? I would have thought you already knew that answer." He continued on.

She noticed then as he looked away from her and back at the book that he had gone through her stuff and was reading over the spell book she had confiscated from the Emo's. Out of frustration she snatched the book out of his hands and snapped it shut, placing it back onto the coffee table. Looking back at him she glared at him as he spoke again.

"Didn't know you were into witchcraft … Personally I don't think that our relationship will work out if you continue it … As you know I already have my beliefs and I don't plan to change them anytime soon."

She snapped. "What in god's name are you doing here?" She finally asked in hysteria.

Pomfrey smirked at her, as he readjusted himself on her couch and she decided to ask another question one that was beginning to plague her mind. "How the bloody hell did you get into my room?"

That seemed to make him speak. "I was surprised as well that they just let me walk right in, I had thought I was going to have to scour the wall." He began, Annabelle decided not to let him finish. "What do you want? Is it not enough that you're ruining my life? Don't you have a misogynist fan club to run or something else that doesn't involve me."

A glare was on his face then and quickly he stood up from his seat on the couch, she noticed then that he didn't loom over her, like she would have thought him, her shoes weren't that tall, but then again she was already a good five-nine without them on, making him six one at the most.

Weird, she was babbling on in her head.

"The AD-1 members are laying low right now, have been since you and your little school-girl friends blew the top off our operations." Pomfrey replied as he took a step to her side and walked to the other side of the coffee table. "Good then, we don't need any bad influences around you, lord only knows what they might persuade you to do." Annabelle said.

It was true, she noticed it the moment he'd come to them; he had seemed so different and so lost when he'd asked for their help. A far cry from the man she was looking at now, no doubt there was someone still hanging around that was a part of the AD-1 society, someone she'd have to get rid of if she was going to make this relationship workout.

While Piers Pomfrey came off as the leader of the women hating secret society, and she was sure he was the leader, she had a small doubt that he was truly that kind of man, someone like that wouldn't be able to make it this far no matter how good their camouflage gear was. … They were bound to slip a few times, and someone was bound to see them.

There was someone around him though, she was sure of it, someone who was getting inside his head and manipulating for their own use. She hoped at least.

He seemed to ignore her comment as he started talking again. "I'm here because I wanted to ask you in person if you would attend the play with me."

Really that was it, didn't he understand that she had already told Chelsea she'd go with her, well she didn't tell him that exactly, but she was positive that she told him something similar. "I told you already I've agreed to go with a friend of mine."

"And I won't take no for an answer, we will be going together, and that's finale."

Did he really just think he could walk over her like that? That she would just let him order her around and not be bothered by it? Oh he had another thing coming; she wasn't going to just let him act like a spoiled brat with her.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure that you just tried to order me." She started as she continued to glare at him. "I don't care who you are Pomfrey, and for that matter alone I will not allow you to just talk to me as if I'm one of your lackeys or a dog. … And if you hate that then that's fine with me, you can drop the agreement right now and be done with this, just remember that you came to us for help."

She was pushing it she could see it in the way he stared at her, but she was fine, she was in a safe place, he wouldn't hurt her, not in her territory. Not when he knew there was a possibility of him losing everything once more.

"Now the Fritton is coming out … Pity I was hoping you weren't anything like your family, but it seems you're just as manipulative and deceiving as the rest of your lot." He bit back.

"Well at least I'm not the type of person who comes from a family that is so vain and so egotistical that I'm raised to believe that men are superior."

He smiled a ruthful smile at her and she wanted to step away just so that she wouldn't have to see that terrifying smile. His words stung her more though, the truth always hurt more and she should have prepared for it to come.

"At least my family doesn't turn on each other, we Pomfrey's don't kill each other off for inheritance sake I can be proud of that fact at least, can you Annabelle?"

She couldn't say she could, she knew all about how her father got the inheritance from his parents, what he did. Her aunt told her that much, never willing to keep secrets from her. She was also highly aware of how they got money off her father, she was the one who'd put his name on the black board, she was the one who had single handedly thrown him into prison, she and her aunt had turned against him when a true daughter wouldn't have.

Although she didn't have a true father to begin with so she didn't think it actually counted.

The problem here though was how he knew about all that, how did he figure out what they did when not even Thwaites knew of it and Thwaites knew a lot about them. Pomfrey seemed to know her unspoken question as he replied haughtily.

"Yes I know all about your little heist, you may have been able to fool the rest of the world, but I am nothing like them."

"No you're not; you're exactly like the rest of the world, hiding your ugly face behind an almost brilliantly painted mask. … You know when I first met you I had figured you for a womanizer so easy to charm my aunt off her toes, a flirty wink at the posh totties, a sultry look at Roxy … it is so sad how easy it is for you to pretend, to believe that your anything else but different from the rest of the world."

He was seething, she was emasculating him and he couldn't stand it. She understood, she understood to well how it felt to be pushed down to the ground, to be told you were lower than dirt, she understood it too well.

"You know I actually pity you, you make yourself believe you've got everything figured out, that you know who you are and what you're capable of, but you don't and you know it too, and you hate it." She said as she dropped down to the couch watching as a vein animatedly popped on the side of his face.

He slammed his palms down onto the coffee table and Annabelle flinched at the sight, the sound.

"I see that pushing you, only causes you to push back." He said in a bit of a strained voice.

He fell to the floor, gracefully and for a moment she wondered just how he had done it. He watched her staring at her with those brown eyes of his, dark, like he was.

"I think we should talk about this." He said as he gestured between them.

Of course, what more was there to talk about, but she didn't want to talk, she wanted to rest, to relax while she still could, but he wasn't letting her, and she knew if she continued to avoid him it would only make matters worse for her.

He would only make matters worse for her.

She was stubborn though, just as he was, and she wasn't ready to talk things through, it felt more business like then intimate. This was a business deal though; she should know there would be no affections coming from this arrangement. "There's nothing to talk about, we're engaged we're getting married and that's that." She replied as she stood from the couch and began to walk towards her bedroom, Pomfrey following her like a lost puppy.

"I'm talking about in-between and after that." He said as he grabbed her arm.

"Nothing in-between has anything to do with you, and when we do marry then you can ask what's next." Annabelle replied in a harsh tone, she didn't want him touching her, and he had no right to do so in the manner in which he was, it was to intimate, something that they weren't.

He looked at her with wide eyes then, shining with amusement as he let her go and she turned away from him as he spoke. "You're in denial."

"It's not denial when I've already accepted this." Annabelle replied, she jumped as her phone rang, tearing her attention towards her cellphone she looked down at the caller I.D. and sighed at the name of the caller, it was a bad omen, she was positive of it.

If she answered the phone she was sure Chelsea would tell her something she didn't need right now, she should press ignore and get back to finding a way to get Pomfrey out of her room.

"For goodness sake give me that." Pomfrey said irritated as he grabbed her phone from her hand and answered in an annoyed tone. "What." He asked. More so he's just spit it out.

If it wasn't for the shock she was sure that she was be trying to grab her phone from him and try to get a few good hits in during the process. "Why hello Miss. Eliason." He said as a Cheshire smirk formed onto his face.

"I'm sorry but Annabelle is indisposed at the moment, can I leave a message dear?" He asked charmingly. She didn't know why she was so surprised by the abrupt change in attitude; it was how he'd survive all these years. Even so, there was something truly sad about how easy it was for him to switch roles so easily.

She watched with a smirk as he'd handed her phone back to her and she looked down to see that the call had ended. She really didn't want to know what was said now.

He spoke with arrogance and smugness and that only made the matter worse for her and made her even more angry, not at Chelsea, never, but at herself. "Your friend just canceled on you for the play, something about having to redue a shoot out in Australia."

She's been right, she should have known better anyways, Chelsea was always canceling on people, and her sisters were not exempt to this treatment. She turned away from Pomfrey again and opened the door for herself.

He was right she was in denial about this situation, but how could he not understand her reasoning? Of course, she'd been preparing to marry herself off to a complete stranger, she hadn't prepared to marry herself to a … Well she really couldn't find a word that best described him.

She sighed as she turned her neck towards him. "So … I guess you get what you want. Now if you could please leave, and don't forget to lock the door behind you."

She just needed sometime, just a little bit at the most. She had been accepted marrying a stranger and she needed to accept marrying Piers Pomfrey and everything she would lose by doing so.

She heard the door to her en-suite slam and she only closed her door and leaned against it.

Did he even care? That was an idiot question he didn't care, all he really cared about was continuing on his family even if it meant by reproducing with his families enemy. Then there was the fact that he was fixing his reputation and making her feel horrible in the process was just a cherry on top for him.

She slid down her door and dropped to the floor, this wasn't fair and it wasn't right.

* * *

_**So despite the varied amount of really honest and good excuses I have for not updating in such a long while I decided I would just say I'm sorry and if you can't forgive me there's a chance I won't continue, but that chance is small still. **_

… _**Oh yeah I also made this extra long just as an apology and to hold you off until the next chap.**_

_**So I figured I should say thank you for the reviews from my first chap.**_

_**Jazza-44**_

_**Shanzy**_

_**Xx-MeMe-xX**_

_**FreeHugz767**_

_**LadyLady1994**_

_**Antigone's Sister**_

_**Of Falling Feathers**_

_**Lady Grimshaw**_

_**Lady Crux**_

_**And a Thanks too everyone else.**_

_**xTheDoctorsCompanion**_

_**Mara Jade Snape**_

_**DramaQueen4eva**_

_**C.A.Q**_

_**Agentcherub**_

_**Artemis Samhain**_

_**Bookthieves**_

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_**Side-Fringe**_

_**sweet-rain**_

_**the forgotten vampire child**_

_**Twilight Journey**_

_**So Thank you everyone.**_


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